Clay sipped coffee while looking at Tag’s display from where he sat. It added something to the shop. Tag drew well.
“How’s the kid this morning?” Ivan asked. “You get him to school on time?”
“Still quieter than usual ever since we came back from the Pacific. He’s been working on his film. He gets up as soon as I call him. Even after a dive he doesn’t have much to say. Mama says he’s quiet after school on days I don’t take him diving.”
“You think he’s sick?” Ivan asked.
“Don’t know. What’s he say to you, Taggart?” Clay asked.
“The usual. He seems OK to me,” Tag said.
“You’ve been sleeping at my house most nights since you came home. Maybe he isn’t getting enough sleep. You know, he stays up late working on that film,” Ivan said.
“I’m sure he does,” Clay said. “He’s been staying up doing editing since you got him the editor. I don’t think that’s it. The change came after we were away all summer. He seemed OK on the Horizon. He and Logan were always putting their heads together. There wasn’t a lot of time that wasn’t filled with some kind of activity.”
“You think he misses that? You know how active his mind is. He was getting stimulation from new people in an exciting new setting. Suddenly we’re old news,” Ivan said. “Our little boy is growing up?”
Clay listened. Dylan was a lot like Ivan in many respects, although he had a totally different upbringing than Ivan.
“Maybe,” Clay said. “We’ve been home two months. I know he was anxious to get home. He didn’t say so, but he was homesick the last couple of weeks. The cove is all he’s known. Now he knows there’s a big wide world out there.”
“It took me until I was eighteen to realize that,” Ivan said.
“Don’t remind me,” Clay said.
“What world? You mean this isn’t it?” Tag asked.
“What’s the furthest you’ve been away from the cove, Tag?” Ivan asked.
“I been to Fort Myers a few times. I been to Tampa once,” Tag said thoughtfully.
“I’ll take you with me to DC one time,” Clay said. “You want to see a madhouse? DC qualifies.”
“Don’t you be trying to get my help away from me,” Ivan said.
“I don’t know I want to get near the rat race,” Tag said. “Too many rats for my taste. I like it here just fine.”
“Suit yourself. When you’re ready to get a bigger picture, let me know,” Clay said.
“You diving this afternoon?” Tag asked. “I need to fill your tanks. I was caught up in a creative frenzy and I haven’t filled them yet.”
“Yes, we’re going back to where we went diving yesterday. There’s something I want to get some still photos of,” Clay said. “I love the display but it’s lopsided. You need two tanks on the right to balance out the two on the left.”
“You took the extra two-tank array for Dylan, after you guys came back from your trip. Ivan’s ordered another two-tank array. My display will remain out of balance until they’re delivered.”
“We only have single tanks on the dive boat?” Ivan asked.
“Yeah. The dive lasts forty minutes. I refill the tanks that were used once the dive boat returns to the cove. There’s eight single tanks that stay on the dive boat but we rarely have eight divers on a trip this time of year.”
“It is your best display. I didn’t realize you were so artistic, Taggart,” Clay said.
“Me either,” Tag said. “I could always draw but until I started working for Ivan, doing a display never entered my mind. One day, while looking at the bare walls in this place, I thought I could do something in the way of advertising what it is we sell.”
“Interior decorators make a lot of money, Taggart. You might have a bright future ahead of you,” Clay said.
“Aren’t I a bit macho for that?” Tag asked with a flip of his wrist.
“Anyone who took a bullet for me is way too macho for that,” Ivan said.
“Interior decorators get a bad rap,” Clay said. “You’re living proof.”
“You could be a butch interior decorator,” Ivan said.
“But this is a hobby, not a profession,” Tag rationalized.
“Harry called yesterday while you were out on your dive. I was gone when you came back. Didn’t have much to say. Do you have a date for your next visit to DC?” “No. We’ve been playing phone tag for a few days. I called him twice. I didn’t get him. He’s called the Conservancy several times. I haven’t been there when he called. He’s been asking me about the chemical analysis on the water from the fish kill. I sent it for a complete analysis three weeks ago and Harry’s been asking about it. Being this persistent indicates he has something on his mind. Especially if he called the shop to see if I was here.”
“You get the results on the chemical analysis on the water samples?” Ivan asked.
“Yeah, finally got it yesterday. I’m processing it,” Clay said. “I’m not sure of what I can conclude from their findings. Speaking of processing, I spent the night with you. You didn’t mention Harry.” “Babe, when I got you in my bed, I don’t think about Harry. I got to be paying attention to the man I love, you know,” Ivan said.
“I can go sweep the boat ramp if we’re going to discuss what you were processing in Ivan’s bed last night,” Tag said.
“No one ever told you about them birds and those bees, Tag?” Ivan asked.
“I got no trouble with birds and those bees. It’s a dude with a dude I’ve never been too clear on. I’m not ready for that talk yet.”
Ivan and Clay laughed.
“I just wondered why he hadn’t mentioned Harry calling down here,” Clay said. “That means he needs to talk to me about something. I’ll call him before I go to get Dylan at school. I’ve some paperwork at the lab I’ve been putting off,” Clay said. “I’ll call him from there.”
“What about the analysis? Nothing stands out?” Ivan asked.
“Yeah, benzine stands out but I’m not sure about the levels. Any time benzine is in the water, fish are endangered. I’ve only read to where it confused me, and I stopped. I’ll run another analysis on the samples I took to see if I can make sense of it. I never did take chemistry. Bill said I should. My brain just couldn’t wrap itself around chemistry. Things are getting more sophisticated and I don’t know what I’m reading.”
“You’re diving in the same place today?” Ivan asked. “What did you find you need to look again so soon?”
“I discovered an interesting anomaly on the reef we went to yesterday. The reef is twenty minutes from the cove. We’ll only need to stay down for fifteen or twenty minutes. I’m taking the underwater Nikon to get stills. I want to show them to Bill. I’ll take samples to give him at the university.
We were supposed to have a meeting right after Bill came back from the Pacific. He hasn’t called. I’ve been busy catching up.”
“Did I mention that Bill called yesterday?” Ivan asked.
“What? Ivan!”
“Slipped my mind, Babe. He tried to get you at the Conservancy. Don’t you still work there? Why have I become your message service? You need to inform me of changes like that. I’m not set up to take your messages, my love,” he said. “I do have my stuff to think about, you know.”
“Ivan, how could you not tell me that Bill called?” Clay asked.
“As I recall, you started kissing on me as soon as you got inside the house. Do you know how hard it is to talk when you’re being kissed? And might I add, those were some very nice kisses too.”
“Where’s the broom, Ivan?” Tag said.
“That’s as far as I’ll go in front of children,” Ivan said.
“I’m going on twenty-two,” Tag said.
“He didn’t leave a message. He said, “Tell him I’ll see him in a couple of days. I may make one more attempt to catch him but he doesn’t need to call me." Speaking of which, did I mention Bill called?”
“You’re hopeless, Ivan,” Clay said. “Why I keep you around, I don’t know.”
“I do my best,” Ivan said. “That’s why you keep me around. My best gets pretty good while we’re alone.”
“I suppose that’s one reason,” Clay leaned to kiss Ivan. “If I’ll be seeing him and we haven’t made plans to meet, he must be coming over here. With Harry trying to get me, he’s going to tell me that he’s coming home and Bill is coming to catch him up on what the summer research trip yielded.”
“You don’t need me. You figure stuff out without me,” Ivan said.
“Bill told me he’d get in touch as soon as he got settled at the university, once he got back. He’s been back for well over a month,” Clay said. “I need to tell him about the fish kill and I’ll have stills of yesterday’s find. He’ll know if it’s a new species or not,” Clay said.
“You’ll see him in a couple of days, according to his call.”
“I’ll try to call him and find out what’s going on. I want to discuss the benzine and the anomaly I’m photographing this afternoon.”
“Harry said he’s coming home Wednesday night or Thursday morning. There’s a vote he can’t miss. He’s not sure what time he’ll be able to get away. He did mention Bill is coming for a visit. He really didn’t make a lot of sense. He was more talking to himself than he was talking to me,” Ivan said.
“The president didn’t call by any chance, did he?” Clay asked.
“No, I’d remember if I talked to the president,” Ivan said.
“Now, I’m wondering what’s going on. I’ll try to get Harry tonight if I don’t get him before our dive. Sounds like he has something on his mind. He wasn’t due home until the end of the month. Makes it easier on me if he comes here. I need to tell Dylan. He wants Harry to see what he’s done with his film. I can’t ask Harry to pay attention to our kid. He’s got enough to do. He did make a fuss over it.”
“How long is the film?”
“About half an hour. It’s the footage of the fish kill and some from the summer’s voyage on the Horizon,” Clay said.
“Harry seems to like encouraging Dylan,” Ivan said.
“I’m aware of that. The thing is, he gets to decide when he would like to do that. I won’t put him on the spot. Harry’s got his own business to take care of. If he invites Dylan to come along, I’ll let him take the film. No telling if Harry might ask about it and we can leave it to watch when he has time.”
“Oh, yeah, speaking about film, that Logan guy is coming,” Ivan remembered. “I knew I was forgetting something.”
“What? Ivan Aleksa!” “What Harry said was, he’ll be seeing Bill and that Logan guy in a couple of days. How many days in a couple, Babe? I figure he meant when he comes home he’ll see them.”
“That makes sense. Logan has finished the documentary from the summer’s research trip. He probably called Bill to tell him it’s ready. Bill called Harry to tell him. Bill will want Logan to show it to the administration at the university before it’s released for public consumption. Harry wants to see it before anyone else does. That’s why he’s coming home.”
“Sometimes you amaze me, Babe. It’s that analytical brain of yours. Doing all that thinking has probably made you hungry. How about JK’s for lunch? My treat. The lunch crowd should be thinning out by now.”
“Yeah, I’ll have lunch with you. Then, I’ll go to the lab to catch up on my paperwork. Once I’m caught up, I’ll call Harry and then, come here before I go to pick up Dylan.”
“Bring something back for you, Tag? Those egg sandwiches are starting to wear off,” Ivan said.
“Fried clams and fries, Boss,” Tag said.
“Speaking of food, Mama’s doing fried chicken for dinner tonight. She told me to tell you to come at the usual time, if you’re able to get away,” Clay said to Ivan.
“Mama’s fried chicken! I’m going to weigh a ton between Tag’s mama and your mama,” Ivan said.
“You haven’t gained an ounce in five years,” Clay said.
“If anyone knows, you do,” Ivan said.
Ivan stood and took the coffee cups to the sink in the back. Tag stood behind the counter, leaning on the glass, chin in hand.
“I like fried chicken,” Tag said.
“You’re watching the shop tonight. I’m going to get me some of mama’s chicken. Treat me nice and I’ll bring you back a piece.”
“You promised me clams and fries. I haven’t seen those yet.”
“I asked you what you wanted two minutes ago. It takes a little longer than that to get to JK’s, Tag.”
“Excuses, excuses,” Tag said.
Clay enjoyed their banter. Tag and Ivan were two peas in a pod.
Ivan waked Clay to his car and kissed him on the cheek before Clay went to the Conservancy. Ivan took Tag his clams and fries.
It was two thirty when Clay was back at the shop. He couldn’t get Harry and he didn’t get around to the paperwork. He was still preoccupied by the benzine in the water. He took the chemical analysis and attached text to the shop for Ivan to see.
“Dylan read this before I did. He brought in the mail yesterday afternoon and he opened it when he saw it was from the lab where I sent the water samples. He sat there reading it in front of me.”
“Does that surprise you? He was rather upset by the fish kill. I believe that’s about the time he grew so quiet, Babe. Did he understand what he was reading?”
“It frightened me that he may have understood it. I haven’t finished reading it yet. I hardly understand it. If he made sense of it, I don’t know. When he handed me the analysis, he said, ‘Benzine. Benzine killed those fish.’ He left before I could ask him if he understood it or not.”
“Gasoline,” Ivan said. “How’d it get in the water?”
Clay opened the envelope and handed the papers to Ivan.
“You got a smart kid there,” Tag said to both of them. “When I show him something he doesn’t understand, he asks me to explain it.”
Ivan was reading and Clay watched his face.
After a few minutes, Ivan handed the papers back across the desk to Clay.
“Benzine,” Ivan said. “How’d gasoline end up in the water?”
Clay waited for Ivan to finish processing what he’d read.
At fifteen to three, the phone rang.
“Cove Campground, Ivan at your service,” Ivan said happily.
Ivan listened for a minute before handing the phone to Clay.
“Clayton, Harry here. They said you just left the Conservancy,” Harry said.
“Yeah, you know me, nose to the grindstone,” Clay said. “Harry, I’m glad you finally caught me, but I got to go get my kid at school. Can this wait?”
Ivan stood up from behind the desk and put his hand out.
“Keys. I’ll get the kid. You better talk to him. I can’t remember any more messages.”
“OK, Harry. Ivan’s going to pick up Dylan. Shoot.”
“I’ll be home early Thursday. Bill is coming for dinner Thursday night. Twila is going to do one of her feasts. That kid Logan is on the way here. He’ll be with Bill Thursday when he comes. You bring Ivan and I’ll give you a rundown on what I need from you. Have you gotten the analysis back on the fish kill? I’ve been waiting for the findings.”
“Yeah, benzine. I haven’t finished reading it all. It came in yesterday’s mail. What about Dylan?” Clay asked.
“What about Dylan?” Harry asked.
“This has to be about Logan’s documentary being ready. Dylan had a hand in it. Should I bring him to dinner?” Clay asked.
“By all means, Clayton. The bottom line is, Bill, Logan, and you, Dylan too if you want, will appear in front of my environmental committee as soon as I can get you all together. Bill is key to when he and Logan are available. I’m hoping, while we have Logan here, he can present his documentary in front of my committee. Give me the bottom line on that analysis. We need to present it to the committee. That’s as important as anything we’re doing, Clayton.”
“OK. I want to bring Dylan for that too. He deserves to be there to show his fish kill footage. He’s watched me testify in front of your committee and this is about something he was part of. I’ll bring him along unless you say no. He’ll love that.”
“You make the arrangements. You’ll have a plane full if they can all come next week. I don’t want to fly down and turn around and come right back to DC. The Apache seats four. I’ll ask Bill and Logan to fly up with you.”
“Sounds like a plan, Harry. I’ll see you in two days?”
“Yeah, we’ll be meeting on Thursday sometime before dinner. We can catch each other up on what’s new,” Harry said. “Got to run. I’m being called to the floor.”
The phone went dead. Clay leaned across the desk to hang it up.
“How’s the senator?” Tag asked.
“In a hurry, as usual,” Clay said, as he picked the chemical analysis up from the corner of Ivan’s desk.